Easter Eve

EASTER EVE – THE DAY OF MOURNING AND FORGIVENESS

 Today a grave holds him who holds creation in his hand. A gravestone covers him who covers the heavens with glory. Life sleeps. Hell trembles. The human race waits with bated breath.

We have been buried with Christ through baptism. In faith we will journey with him into dark and unknown places.

 He who holds all things together was lifted up on the cross and all creation lamented. The sun hid its rays. The stars withheld their light. The earth shook in fear. The seas fled and the rocks were split. Tombs were opened. The bodies of holy people were raised. The nether world groaned. The authorities spread a false report about Christ’s resurrection. All creation waits with bated breath.

 We have been buried with Christ through baptism. In faith we will journey with him into dark and unknown places.

 We bless Joseph who came to the Governor by night and asked for the Life of all to be laid in his garden of graves. We bless you for the women, who went to the grave to watch, to weep and offer fragrant spices of devotion. We too, will watch and weep and offer our devotion.

 This is the night when you saved our forebears from their slavery and led them dry-shod through the sea. This is the night when Christ broke the chains of sin and death and rose triumphant from the grave. This is the night when Christians everywhere, washed clean of sin and freed from all that degrades them, are restored to grace. O Christ, you go through the grave and the gates of death, open to us the gate of glory.

 We have been buried with Christ through baptism. In faith we will journey with him into dark and unknown places. We wait with baited breath for death's gates to open to us.